


Reunion

by VeryWrongEverything



Series: GOC2020 Prompts [6]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Adam is Crowley's nephew, Alternate Universe - Human, Aziraphale has a snake, Crowley owns a plant shop, GOC2020, Good Omens Celebration, High School Crush, Kisses, M/M, Reunion, Warlock is a cat, misunderstanding in the past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:13:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24058777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeryWrongEverything/pseuds/VeryWrongEverything
Summary: Anthony Crowley ran into his high school crush who was carrying a pet snake that named after him?
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: GOC2020 Prompts [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727854
Comments: 8
Kudos: 57





	1. Crawley the Snake and Crowley the man

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short five-parter written for GOC2020.
> 
> I've never posted a series before let alone posting one that isn't finished yet. So it might be quite a journey. Hope yall enjoy.
> 
> Stay safe and sane in all these craziness :)
> 
> Prompt: alternative universe.

Aziraphale was planning dinner in his head and enjoying his stroll after he took his pet snake Crawley for his annual test. Everything is alright and he’s fairly pleased with himself for taking good care of him. The upbeat energy seemed to infect the serpent which he carried in a bag on his shoulder for he wiggled slightly as his owner walked. 

And a street-side plant shop drew him in. Crawley behaved well at the vet’s today, so he supposed an extra plant in his terrarium wouldn’t hurt. A ficus would be nice. Or a spider plant. Or some pothos plants. Or… _wow_.

He was welcomed by vibrant greenery as he stepped into the shop. The layout of the shop was harsh and minimalist, but the arrangement of plants made up for it. Most of the shop was covered in leaves. Fragrance spread out from a corner full of flower and filled the entire room.

He decided not to linger too long and made a mental note to come back when he needs to refurbish Crawley’s habitat. He picked up a pot of blue star fern and walk to the cashier. There is no one there. He had been so mesmerised when he entered the place and did not notice that no one greeted him.

Aziraphale looked around for a bit wondering if he should ask aloud or put the plant back and visit the shop some other day.

“Sorry, got caught up…” He heard someone spoke as the man walked out to the counter and fell silent all of a sudden. When the man started speaking again, his voice was full of disbelief and gentleness. “Zira?”

“I do not like my name being shortened, if…,” Aziraphale opened his mouth to protest, but stopped mid-sentence. _How did he know my name_? He looked at the man at an instant and gasped. “Anthony?”

He did not change much. It's still rather familiar. The fiery hair. Sharp jawline. And the snake tattoo at his temple.

He wanted to look into the pools of liquid gold but couldn’t because of the sunglasses the redhead was wearing, _Is this really the Anthony Crowley he knew from high school?_ He felt his heart beating hard in his chest, anxiety and excitement rushing through his vein. “Anthony Crowley?” He never thought he’d see the man again. He felt his cheeks heating up.

“Zira?” The man was stunned, words almost a whisper. “Oh my…Someone! Zira? Really?”

* * *

What Crowley did not expect to happen in his entire life is to meet Aziraphale Fell again.

They were close in high school and Crowley had a secret crush on him. He never confessed because he knew he wasn’t good enough for Zira. The blonde was well-read, kind, and beautiful. Those baby blue eyes. Crowley could drown in them.

When he walked out of the backroom to check out a plant for a customer, he did not expect to see someone he knew. He didn’t have many friends and most of the few friends he had lived in different cities. So, of course, he was shocked speechless.

“Zira?” He heard himself breathed out. It’s a bit embarrassing really. His nonchalant façade crumbled down within a second. He couldn’t believe his eyes, but the fluffy blonde curls, the cream jacket and the baby blue eyes. Oh, those beautiful eyes.

Crowley still remembered how expressive they were. The sadness flowing out of them when they parted ways more than a decade ago.

“I do not like my name being shortened,” the blonde huffed and the irritation stunned Crowley out of his memory. He’d never heard Zira speak like that in the past and he wanted to take away the displeasure.

“Anthony?” As he thinks about plans to cheer the blonde up, he heard his name from those lips. He almost forgot how his given name sounded like after so many years of being referred to by his surname. “Anthony Crowley?”

 _That sounds about right._ The shock of seeing his high school crush began to fade and he realised that he hadn’t spoken anything meaningful yet. So, he opened his mouth. Not much came out. He willed his vocal cord to work, so it did.

“Zira?” He heard his own voice, raspy. “Oh my…Someone! Zira? Really?” Okay, he might have forgotten to will his brain back into function too.

“Yes. Hello, Anthony, I’m delighted to see you again here.” He watched the blonde’s every movement as he spoke. Swallowed as he saw the Adam’s apple bobbed. “What a pleasant surprise!”

Aziraphale beamed. Crowley swore. The blonde was beaming and glowing and sending out warmth. He though himself was melting. _Calm down, you hopeless romantic_ , he scolded himself internally.

“Ngkkk… Yes, ‘s great to see you again as well.” He finally managed to spell out a sentence. His was certain his cheeks were as red as his hair. “You want that?” He gestured to the plant Aziraphale was holding.

“Oh, right, yes.” Aziraphale took out the wallet. “How much do…”

“No need.” Crowley spurted out, then realised he practically shouted out the words. He cleared his throat to recompose himself and said, “considered it a gift from an old friend, yeah?”

“Well, if you insist,” Aziraphale looked a bit conflicted. “perhaps we can catch up sometimes?” His fingers wringing together in front of his belly. “Like old friends do?” He added, looking a bit uncertain.

“Sure,” Crowley gladly agreed to it. “Over dinner? Or lunch? I can give you my number, or you can ring the shop, it’s just me here, you won’t reach the wrong person,” he rambled, desperately wanted to secure a meal with Aziraphale. Then he saw something squirmed in the bag Aziraphale was carrying.

“Zira?” He wasn’t sure if he should be alarmed.

“Yes, my dear?” He asked softly.

“I think I saw something in your bag squirmed.” The redhead sounded confused.

“Oh, right. I almost forgot.” Aziraphale poked his tongue out for a second and Crowley was captivated by the flash of pink. “That would be my pet snake. We were back from an annual visit to the vet.”

“Pet snake?” Crowley had never thought of Aziraphale as a snake person before. Well, people change, he supposed. “Does he umm… she umm… it have a name?”

“It’s a he.” The blonde chuckled, then a shy smile climbed up to his face. “I call him Crawley.” His eyes lowered and Crowley missed those sparkling blue immediately.

“Crawley?” He smirked as he responded. “Interesting name of choice, innit?”

“Well, he does crawl. So I’d say it’s rather appropriate.” The pink lips pouted.

“Fair enough,” the redhead good-naturedly agreed, _and it sounded like my name._ He thought to himself.

“Right, are you free tomorrow evening?” He collected himself from his treacherous thoughts. “Perhaps we can talk over a nice dinner?”

“Sure!” Aziraphale beamed. “I know a few places that serve rather scrumptious dishes. What do you say to some desert?” His eyes sparkled at the thought of food and that turned Crowley into a pile of sentimental goo. He missed the times they had meals together.

“Well, then.” He took out a notepad from somewhere under the counter and scribbled some digits on it. “Here’s my number. We can talk later today to figure out the details? Your snake looked impatient to go home at the moment.”

“Oh,” Aziraphale looked down and realised that his bag was squirming. “Right, speak with you later then, I guess.” He held out a hand. “It’s been a delightful surprise, Anthony.”

“Yes, best thing today,” he smiled as he took the thick palm and squeezed. “It’s been a really long time since I last saw you. ‘m glad you’re well. Zi… Aziraphale.”

“A long time indeed.” Aziraphale smiled and folded the paper with Crowley’s number neatly and stored it carefully in his breast pocket.

* * *

“Dear boy, you moved around too much.” He frowned at the glorious black snake slithering in his spacious terrarium. “It’s a pity that our conversation had to be cut short.”

He thought of the flustered look when Crowley was writing down his number and smiled. The waves of the auburn locks were mesmerising. He was almost lost in the movements of it.

The serpent hissed. “Right, I supposed hanging in the air is not comfortable.” He grumbled. “I didn’t know I’d be standing and talking to an dear old friend, did I?”

“Fine, would you like a box next time we travel somewhere? My dear?” He offered and Crawley slithered back to his hiding spot.

He started chopping vegetables as he contemplated over which restaurant to take Crowley the next evening. If he remembered correctly, the redhead has never been a big fan of food. Aziraphale remembered him saying something about misophonia or something?

Perhaps they could have a quiet meal at his place? Aziraphale wasn’t so sure about the idea. Was it too soon? But they were close friends. A decade ago. But still, they’ve had dinner at each other’s places before. Still, a decade ago.

“I’ll just have to call him then.”

He dialled the number and waited, stomach fluttering as he listened to the mechanic sound on the other side.

“Hello, this is Crowley. Who am I speaking with?” Crowley sounded stiffer than he was before, and Aziraphale realised that he’d already missed the tender voice so dearly.

“Anthony, I…” Aziraphale started his greeting but was cut off.

“Aziraphale! Yes…um…hi…ngk…” He stuttered. “Sorry, hand’s full of dirt. Couldn’t pick up right away.”

“That’s quite alright, my dear.” Aziraphale said in a soothing voice. “Can you speak now?”

“Sure,” Crowley’s voice paused. “Aziraphale, are you _seriously_ using a landline?”

He laughed and Aziraphale huffed. “Perhaps the dinner wasn’t a good idea after all.”

“Sorry, angel.” _Angel_ , Aziraphale repeated quietly to himself. No one except Crowley had called him that. It made him nostalgic. Aziraphale decided not to bring it up. He made a considering sound.

“Dinner still on?”

“Yes, of course, my dear. I’m only joking.” He took a breath and decided to go for it. “Actually, I was thinking, perhaps we can meet at my place tomorrow evening if you don’t mind? It’s not far from your shop. Just a few blocks from there. I can meet you there and we can walk back to my place together? There’s a lovely café that makes marvellous pastries. We can pick some up for dessert. I also learnt how to make Bouillabaisse recently. Perhaps you’d like to try it. We can also order takeout of course. You do not have to eat what I make.” He would very likely ramble on if Crowley did not step in.

“Sure, anything angel. Anything you like.” He said.

“Six-thirty at your shop it is then.”


	2. Adam and Warlock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's an (or two?) unexpected guest at Aziraphale and Crowley's reunion dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of the AU storyline I started yesterday. 
> 
> The prompt for today is "family," enjoy :)

Aziraphale repaired some books in the morning as efficiently as he could. He tried his best not to get lost in the smell of aged paper or accidentally started reading some of the pages when his eyes caught an interesting phrase. There’s someone more important to meet in the evening, after all.

When he was finishing up with one of the books, he caught the smell of the stock he had started before he sat down to work. The richness of fish has deepened and was flowing out from his kitchen. He discovered his love for cooking after he finished studying.

Even after a few years of taking care for most of his meals, Aziraphale wouldn’t say he’s particularly good. To be honest, he’s terrible with keeping track of time. But it fit in with his passion for reading and his work of repairing books perfectly. He’d start something going before he delved into a book and enjoy it after he decided to take a break from the pages.

He thought about picking up some wine on his way to Crowley’s shop. _Some alcohol should be good_ , he thought to himself. Then he got caught up in the inner debate of whether to include his friend in the choosing of alcohol.

By four in the afternoon, he finished the last repairment. He had stained the fish stock and freshened it up with finely chopped mirepoix and some shellfish. It smelled divine by then. He strained the broth again and leave it in a clean pot. Then Aziraphale went on to check the plates and bowls he planned to use for the evening, making sure that everything is in place. Given the fact that he arrived in the city no long more a year ago and has been living alone since, it’s surprising how complete his tableware was.

By five, everything was in place. He’d changed the dirtied water of clams several time by now, there should be no more sand and ready to be cooked. The shrimps, scallop, and fish were treated and lightly seasoned. Aziraphale looked around with a nervous glance, trying to find spots to clean up.

Thirty minutes later, he finally decided that there’s not much he could do and padded into the shower to freshen up.

The shower did him the world of good. Aziraphale felt calmer and his blonde curls looked better kept. He put on a newer shirt and over that his usual waistcoat. He fussed with the tartan bowtie for a while to make sure it’s nice and straight.

 _This is good enough, Aziraphale, Anthony knew who you are, and you know what kind of person he is. He never judges you. There is no need to worry._ He reassured himself at the door and finally stepped out.

Anyone walked past Crowley’s plant shop that day would have been very confused about the visibly trembling of his plants. Although Crowley would never admit that he was beyond excited to meet Aziraphale in the evening, some delightful noises might have escaped his lips. To the ears of his plants, or whatever equivalent part they have been using to take in Crowley’s rants, it’s so out of the ordinary and is _bloody terrifying_.

Crowley stared at his dirtied nails and calculated how much time he would need to clean himself up before Aziraphale arrives. He wanted to look good for Aziraphale. His glance laid on the neatly folded pile of clothing under the counter and smiled. The plants around him shivered so hard. It’s almost audible.

What Crowley did not expect was how posh Aziraphale looked until he showed up at the shop. _He’s wearing a waistcoat? Didn’t he say to have dinner at his place?_ He had put on a nicer shirt and a skinny tie, which he thought were more than enough for a dinner at a friend’s house and a significant upgrade from his usual overalls or t-shirts. _Of course he should have anticipated it. It’s Aziraphale for fuck sake. He’d never walk in the public comfortable without a dozen layers._ Crowley was suddenly self-conscious of being underdressed.

“Anthony!” The blonde exclaimed as he walked in the vibrantly green shop like a ray of sunshine. _The glowing smile and the baby blue eyes_ , Crowley has forgotten how enthusiastic his friend can be. He felt very exposed in the face of Aziraphale’s friendly greeting and almost ducked for cover.

“Are you ready to go, my dear?” The smile was so soft, and it’s doing things to Crowley. He felt his mind melting down into nothing.

“Hgk…Yeah…need jacket. Hold on.” He stuttered out and sprinted into the backroom to collect his things.

Aziraphale looked around the shop and tried to make out why the energy in the room was a bit weird and strained. _The plants seemed a bit tense_ , he thought. Then he laughed at his own silliness. _How can plants be tense_ , _that’s ridiculous_.

As he paced back to the entrance of the shop, he saw a boy peeking into the shop with a concerned look. The boy had thick dark blonde curls, with a hint of ginger even and piercing blue eyes. Aziraphale shivered when their gaze met and the boy scrambled out to the corner.

“Anthony? There’s a boy at the shopfront.” He called but couldn’t make out what Crowley's response was. He decided to let the boy in anyways. The lost and anxious look on the boy’s face was overly mature for his age.

“Dear boy, would you like to come in?” He reached the door and held it open. The boy looked unsure. He stretched his neck and peered into the shop as if in search of something or someone. Aziraphale turned his body to let him have a better access. “I suppose you are looking for someone perhaps?”

The boy nodded. Golden curls bounced along with the movement. “Is this not Crowley’s shop?” He asked with uncertainty in his voice, reaching into his trouser pocket to retrieve a piece of paper. “I am looking for this address, is it here?”

Aziraphale looked down to the paper and saw Crowley’s handwriting. He’s confused. “This is Anthony’s shop. He’s in the backroom.” Aziraphale crouched down to speak to the boy face to face. “Would you like to wait inside?” The boy nodded and they entered the shop together.

“Do you mind telling me your name and why you are here?” Aziraphale asked, hoping to understand the situation better, but the boy’s still a bit on edge and hesitated to speak.

“Oh, how rude am I. I should have introduced myself first.” He chuckled and the boy seemed to relax slightly. “I am Aziraphale. I am Anthony’s frie…”

“You are Aziraphale?!” The boy’s eyes widened in an instant. “Wow…”

“You knew me?” Aziraphale frowned in confusion. _How did the boy know him?_ He tried to search for any memory about Crowley concerning a boy. He thought of nothing. “How?”

“Adam?” Crowley appeared from behind the counter before the boy could answer his question. The boy jumped up and sprinted to the redhead.

“Crowley!” He buried himself in Crowley’s embrace, which was quite awkward because he as he crouched down, he realised he was wearing his nicer suit for dinner with Aziraphale and didn’t want to ruin it. He stopped halfway and had his knees bent in a peculiar angle.

 _Dinner with Aziraphale!_ He remembered and shot his head up. The blonde was looking at the entangled pair with a complex expression.

“Anthony.” He heard the soft voice swallowed with hesitation. “Is this your son?”

“What? No!” He responded in shock and the pair burst out laughing.

“Adam is family and we are close, but he is not my son.” He pulled the boy into a more vertical stance, facing Aziraphale.

“Aziraphale, this is my nephew Adam.” He gestured between the two, “and Adam, Aziraphale.”

“Zira, I need to understand the situation first. I’m not sure having dinner is still viable.” He looked at the blonde apologetically.

“That is totally understandable.” Aziraphale responded with a soothing voice and gentle nod, hiding the disappointment as well as he could manage. “We can re…”

“Wait. You are having dinner together?” Adam shouted with great excitement in his boyish voice. “Well done, Crowley!” He elbowed the redhead’s waist with mischievous smirk.

“Ahem, you should totally go.” He cleared his throat to summon his deeper voice and stood a bit straighter. “I just need the key to your apartment. Need to stay here for a while I’m afraid. We can talk when you finished your dinner” _date,_ he mouthed in silence and Crowley blushed.

“Shut up, kiddo.” He gave him a stern look but it’s just not very convincing with the blush going on. His apartment was not in living condition right now. He might have thrown his clothes all over the floor when he was trying to figure out what to wear to meet Aziraphale. “I’ll need to rearrange the furniture to make space for you to sleep anyways.”

“I’m really sorry, Zira. But, would it be alright if we reschedule?” He turned to Aziraphale with an apologetic look again. _Great, rescheduling at the last moment. Great way to fixing things with your old friend, Crowley._

“Actually, Adam, would you like to come with us? I can make some dinner for you as well.” He said with a tentative tone. “I don’t think you’ve eaten yet?”

“Yeah, sure.” Adam’s face lighted up even more. “I can stay in a corner and I’d be so quiet you two won’t notice I’m there.” He held their hands and pulled them out of the shop.

“Hold on!” Crowley shouted and scrambled to turn off the lights and lock the door on his way out.

Adam picked up a stuffed backpack and duffle bag sitting at the entrance. “Do I bring these with me? These are all I packed.” The bag stirred and the men heard a meow from it.

“You brought Warlock? Seriously?” Crowley raised his eyebrow in a judgemental angle and Adam winced. “I didn’t want him to stay home with dad. Sorry, Crowley.”

“Fine. We’ll figure something out when we get back.” He grumbled.

“Anthony. If it’s not too inappropriate, maybe Adam can stay at my place?” He asked softly, watching the lanky man taking both baggage from the child. “I have an extra room. A guest room actually, with a bed. And I work from home so you can come check on Adam anytime you like.”

“Yes!” Adam agreed enthusiastically and clung to the blonde’s round waist to demonstrate how willing he was to stay at his place. Crowley sighed. “Let’s discuss over dinner. Yeah?”

Aziraphale led Adam and Crowley to the guestroom and let them settle Adam down. The boy held Warlock in his arms while Crowley pulled out clothing from the bags. The redhead grumbled about the crinkles on the fabrics and Adam shrugged.

“I can take care of them tomorrow, if you don’t mind.” Aziraphale chuckled from the kitchen. “Just pick out the more crinkled or dirtied ones and leave them in the laundry basket.”

“Nope, not doing that.” Crowley refused. “I’ll take care of ‘em.”

“Thank you, Aziraphale.” Disregarding Crowley’s response, Adam’s ran into the aromatic kitchen with the biggest smile on his face. “Can I help with something?”

“I’m almost done, dear boy. If you’re done freshening up, you can bring Crowley out? I have some free time tomorrow. He doesn’t have to get everything done now.” He smiled. “Should I prepare something for your cat? Warlock? Is it?”

“Nah, Warlock is good. I snuck some canned food out from home. I’ll feed him later.”

“I’ve had some poached fish. Can he have some?”

“Yeah, I suppose it’s fine.” Adam petted the cat, dark fur shined with the squirms. “Thank you Aziraphale.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same as always, comments and advice are the most welcomed. I'm on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/verywrongeverything), so it'd be great to meet some of you there :)


	3. Late-Night Catch Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aziraphale and Crowley did some late-night catch-up and uncovered some misunderstanding from their past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt for today is "doubt!"
> 
> Same as always, feel free to leave comments and, please, enjoy :)

The dinner was mostly good. Except for the few times Adam lost hold of Warlock and some the cat stole morsels of seafood from the table. The easy banter set in not long after the meal began. Crowley missed this. He missed Aziraphale rambling on, mostly smugly smiles and suggestive winks at him. Then he realised, for the past thirty minutes, Aziraphale has been sharing embarrassing tales about their high school lives with Adam, while the kid encouraging the blonde with excited cheers.

He coughed out loud to interrupt the chat. “That’s quite enough, Adam. It’s bedtime.” He had to put a stop to this. Who knows what the boy would do to him with all these information. He should have realised his silly tricks earlier. But, truth be told, Crowley might have been too caught up in Aziraphale’s tender eyes when he recounted their days together. The soft expression on his round face was almost dreamy.

“Crowley, it’s only nine,” Adam complained and looked to Aziraphale with the more innocent eyes.

“Anthony, it’s not that late. Adam can rest until noon if he likes, yes?” He smiled at Adam with indulgence. “The company is rather pleasant, don’t you think?” Aziraphale joined in. _Oh, how easily the innocent angel is manipulated by this little devil._ Crowley started to think that letting Adam stay with Aziraphale might lead to troubles. _A lot of troubles._

“We have to talk about why you are here. I think you’d appreciate some privacy for that conversation.”

“Oh, right.” Aziraphale gasped a bit. _How did he forget the fact that Adam showed up without warning and asked for shelter._ “My dear boy, are you alright?”

“Yeah, there’s nothing to say actually.” Adam winced at the sudden attention. “Dad chucked me out. Said I was a disappointment.”

“He beat you this time?”

“Not too bad. Nothing draws attention.” Adam stood up and put Warlock in Crowley’s arms so he could show them his bruises. It was all over his back. “He threw things at me and pushed me around the living room for a while. Then he probably decided that beating me up was too much trouble, and threw me out the front door. I snuck back in to pack some clothes and money. And Warlock of course. Then I was here.”

“Okay, you are staying with me. We’ll go to the police tomorrow and figure something out. Protection order first.” Crowley decided angrily. “Luke’s gone mad. He’s not gonna treat his own kid like this.”

“Thanks, Crowley.” The child looked relieved. “Do I have to go back?”

“Not now. Possibly not ever if you don’t want to. We can find some legal help with the custody if you don’t want to go back and prefer to stay with me or some other relative. Which is quite a short list if I’m not wrong. So, I suppose it’s just me?” His voice was soft and caring, looking at Adam with a cocked eyebrow. “We can discuss this in detail tomorrow. You should rest first. Long trip and everything.”

Adam nodded and took Warlock back from the redhead. Warlock meowed and stretched his limbs in Adam’s hold affectionately. Aziraphale accompanied them back to the guestroom and brought some more blankets and towels to Adam for the night and the shower the next morning.

“Please do not hesitate to call on me if you need anything. I’d be more than happy to help. And you don’t have to wake up early for breakfast, rest as long as you need. I can make something for you to eat whenever you wake up.” He gestured across the hallway. “Let me know when you’re up. I should be in the study all day, yes?”

Adam nodded gratefully. “I’ll leave you two to settle then,” Aziraphale said returned to the dining room to clean up the dishes.

Crowley tucked Adam to bed and promised to figure something out in the next few days. And before he left the room, he warned Adam not to share too much of what he knew with Aziraphale. He knew the kid was out of his control. But this way he’d have a reason to assure himself that all the lovesick looks of his when he went through his photobooks and old letters with Adam would remain secret.

When he finally joined Aziraphale in the kitchen, Crowley easily took over the chores and Aziraphale stood there watching him move. It was like old times. Having Aziraphale around.

“It’s good to have you around, you know?” The blonde said quietly.

“You always have me, Zira.”

“Don’t be silly Anthony. We haven’t talked in at least a decade. We never wrote to each other, not even on holidays.” The blonde snorted.

“Right, sorry about that.”

“I didn’t even know where you end up until yesterday. I’m beyond happy to see you but I’m also sad. It’s all still very messy and complicated.” Aziraphale confessed, his finger wrung nervously in front of him.

“’m sorry.”

The silence fell and it pulled at Crowley’s heart. It’s almost suffocating. He kept on what he’s doing and put the tableware away. Hoping that the small clinks of metal and plates were enough to cover his frantic heartbeat.

“Anthony, can I ask you something?” Aziraphale said cautiously.

An alarm went off in Crowley’s mind but he took a deep breath and kept his tone calm. “Sure, Zira.”

“Why didn’t you respond to my letter?”

“Ngk…” Crowley stopped what he’s doing and turned to Aziraphale with hurt and disbelief. “What do you mean? I wrote back to you every time. I’m not good with words but I always wrote something. I tried to make up with other things. Pressed flowers, sketches of you being happy, gifts, sweet treats. But you left without a word.”

He felt his eyes stung and in the blurry vision of his he saw Aziraphale’s jaw dropped.

“I left you a long letter. Several pages probably. I didn’t know how to say goodbye.” His lips were trembling and tears running down his cheeks. “You didn’t get it?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Crowley said in the saddest tone Aziraphale’s ever heard. “Where did you leave it?”

“I put it in your jacket. When we were having dinner at your place before you left town.”

“Right, sorry. I didn’t wear that jacket the next day. Couldn’t handle it. Thought you’ve left me and that jacket reminded me of the time we spent together. I packed it but it’s just there. I just kept it hidden at the corner.” His gaze grew softer and unfocused, as if he’s looking at something not in this time and space.

“Do you remember? You fell asleep once on a long bus ride. Your head rested on my shoulder. It was so warm and I can almost feel your breath on my skin.”

“Probably shouldn’t have said that. I should leave. You know, before I said more things that I didn’t plan on saying. Zira, I’m sorry. I should have checked.” He turned on his heels and apologised for the last time of the night.

Aziraphale pulled him into an embrace and buried his face in the hollow of Crowley’s lean shoulder. “It’s not your fault. I should have said something before you left instead of leaving you a farewell note like a coward.” His body was trembling, and small hiccups started as his sobs intensified. “I’m so sorry, Anthony.”

The sorrow flowing out of Aziraphale made Crowley’s chest ached. He hated this. “Zira, come. Let’s sit down on the couch, yeah?” He held the blonde’s thick waist and rested one hand on his nape as he guided them towards the couch.

“You alright?” He ran his palm up and down Aziraphale’s back as the blonde curled up by his side. _How is his back so soft as well?_

“Can you hold me Anthony?” He asked in a nervous whisper. “I want to tell you about the letter. I should have said everything to you before we parted. I regret no confessing my love for you everyday in the past decade.”

“Your what?” Crowley choked. “Come again?”

“I love you Anthony. I always have. But I was so unsure of myself and didn’t dare to tell you.” He pulled back a little to look into Crowley’s golden eyes. “I thought your leaving as your answer.”

“I would have stayed for you, or follow you to wherever you want to have a life in. You never asked and I didn’t think you would want me to push.”

“I guess we’re both rather silly then.” Aziraphale laughed bitterly.

They stared at each other with a sorrowful gaze for a while and let everything sinks in.

“Anthony, my dear. Can I kiss you?”

“Um…Hgk…Yeah…” Crowley didn’t really know what to say was practically holding back tears with every fibre of his being, so he simply leaned in and closed his eyes. Aziraphale framed his cheeks with shaking fingers and Crowley felt like it was where his head belong. It was the most tender kisses he’s ever experienced. Their lips brushed and they stayed that way for a few more seconds than Crowley was used to. He can feel Aziraphale’s breath on his skin, damp and uneven.

Then he parted his lips and invited Aziraphale to do the same. He nipped at the plump lower lip of the blonde and drew out a needy whimper. “Zira…” He breathed out, unsure of what to do next.

He felt the warmth on his cheek moved towards his nape and stroked the ginger locks there. The soft hand slipped into his hair and held onto it as the weight of Aziraphale shifted to leaned on Crowley’s slender body. He hesitantly pulled Aziraphale onto his lap.

“Zira… Is this alright?” He paused to catch up with breathing and try to make sense of the situation. _So he met his high school crush after 10 years and had dinner the next evening and was now kissing on the couch?_

Apparently, he did not have time for that because Aziraphale pulled back with embarrassed flush and furrowed brows. “Sorry, Anthony, I shouldn’t have pushed. I shouldn’t have forced…”

He never finished the sentence because Crowley pulled him over himself and let the thick thigh straddled his thin hip. “Nonsense.” He gritted out between his pearl white teeth and pulled Aziraphale in for another kiss.


	4. A Surprise after Picnic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam might have forgotten something before they all went on a picnic...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still trying to keep up with the GOC2020! The prompt for today is "miracle." I also added in the anniversary gift alternative prompt, but both are not very obvious. Oops!
> 
> Anyways, same as always, stay safe and enjoy :)

Over the next few days, Crowley filed for a protection order for Adam and took him out shopping for supplies. Adam didn’t really pack much of his own belongings. Most of his bags are canned cat food for Warlock. Aziraphale joined when he could. And in those times that he had to stay home for work, Crowley brought treats with him when he brought Adam back to Aziraphale’s.

Aziraphale wasn’t going to turn Crowley if he came empty-handed, but being treated with delicacies was always appreciated. He would welcome them in and  _ very easily _ convince Crowley to stay for a chat. As time went by, Crowley’s visits became the norm and Aziraphale always had dinner for three ready by the time Crowley and Adam arrived. 

During the hours Crowley had to work, Adam had skillfully wooed Aziraphale into giving away some of Crowley’s embarrassing stories. Aziraphale was more than happy to share and everything about Crowley was as vivid as it just happened yesterday in his mind. If he somehow couldn’t describe the details as they were, he would dig out a worn-out tin box and go through the photos and letters. 

They were looking at a photo of Crowley rocking a head of fiery curls that afternoon. It all started with Adam’s complaint about Crowley’s man-bun these weeks. 

“He’s looking at himself all the time. Whenever he walked past something that reflects.” Adam grumbled. “It’s the worst when we’re on our way back here, you know.” Adam tried to put on a deeper, more adult-like voice. 

_ What is the kid implying? No, he couldn’t have known, could he? _ Aziraphale fretted, unsure about whether letting Crowley’s teenage nephew know about their developing relationship was a good idea. Technically, they weren’t dating. The passionate kiss was a one-time thing. And things have kind of fallen back to what they had been before they stayed apart for decades. Not more. Not less. It’s all a bit confusing, to be honest.

“Oh, Adam. Um… Well, if you ask me, it’s perhaps because when you’re on your way here, it’s rather late in the day and the hair, you see, the hair tends to shift in place during…” The older blonde flushed, trying to explain.

“Yeah. I get the gist. Don’t worry. Aziraphale.” Adam waved with a smirk on his round face. “It’s just, can you just compliment him or something? He’s fussing with his hair like non-stop.” 

“You know… what exactly?” 

“Promised Crowley. Can’t tell you.” The kid answered smugly.

“Well, so the issue you’re having is that you want his hair short again? Or do you want him to style it differently?” 

“It’s alright. I’ve seen him with longer hair. For a while at least.”

“Anthony used to have long hair back in the days.” 

“Longer than his hair now?” Adam’s face lit up and he dropped his complaint. He knew he’s in for some treat when Aziraphale started mentioning the old days. “His hair is almost long enough to braid. It’s crazy how fast their growing.” 

“Well, I’ll have you know, Anthony’s hair looked divine with a tiny braid underneath. It achieves some kind of perfect balance between elegant and wild.” The corner of those blue eyes crinkled as he remembered the glimpse of the delicate braid under Crowley’s crimson locks. They used to spend time at Aziraphale’s place getting schoolwork done. And as the breeze flowed through Crowley’s hair, mussed it up to reveal the hidden braid, Aziraphale would watch the mesmerising movement of it in awe. 

Crowley tried to teach him how to do it. Telling Aziraphale how to collect and manipulate his curled hair between the plump fingers to produce the lovely pattern. Aziraphale didn’t really learn how to do it properly and ended up with a fluffy mess, but Crowley never redid his work. With a swift shake of his head, the locks cascaded back down, leaving a slightly awkward lump on the side. 

“Do you have pictures of it? Can I see it?” Adam was excitedly pulling on Aziraphale’s fingers. “ _ Please _ . I promise I won’t tell Crowley that you showed me pictures of him with long hair.” He blinked away the sharpness of his piercing blue eyes and put on the most innocent look to convince Aziraphale. 

“Of course, dear boy. He looked lovely with long hair. He wouldn’t mind you taking a look, I’m sure.” He patted Adam’s hand and stood up to retrieve the tin box he carefully stored in a drawer nearby. 

As he returned to his seat with the box, thumb affectionately rubbing its side, Adam has found himself a comfortable chair to sit on, close to Aziraphale enough to peek at the items Aziraphale was going to be sharing. 

The box was full of dents and nicks, probably went through more years than it should have. Aziraphale lifted the lid and went through some aged photos, most of which with a redhead on them and some had Aziraphale next to the said redhead. Not much time has gone by between then and now, but Crowley looked older. Those vibrant golden eyes carried more sadness and regrets than Aziraphale would like. He wanted to take away whatever has been troubling Crowley throughout the years. But if he were to be honest to himself, it’s very likely all his own making. 

As much as he hated to admit, he has also been troubled by those decisions of his own. His cowardice stole years away from them. The time they could have spent together was now tainted with loneliness. He picked out some photos for Adam to look through and the boy enjoyed them thoroughly, yelping and gasping as he looked through his uncle’s youth. 

His finished and Aziraphale was still lost in his thoughts. He thoughtfully laid the photos carefully back in the box on Aziraphale’s lap and the blonde man thanked him. Somewhere deep in his thoughts, he heard Adam asked something about his snake and he made a noise of acknowledgement. 

Then Crowley came. The doorbell rang and Adam rushed out to welcome him in. Aziraphale fumbled with the box full of memories on his lap while Adam tried to convince Crowley to bring Warlock along on their picnic. 

“Nope, not going to happen.” The redhead insisted.

“But look! He’d be so bored and lonely here,” Adam open a door to reveal the black cat lying on his side licking himself clean. 

“He’ll be  _ fine _ ,” Crowley growled. “He’s living his dream here. Zira’s feeding him fresh food every day and he can take a break from a restless 11-year-old.” 

“Fine,” Adam huffed and stumbled out towards the door. Crowley followed. “Zira, ready to leave? I’ve packed some food, but if you want to pick up something on the way to the park is also fine.”

“I’ve found a picnic blanket. It’s been a while since I last used it,” he pulled out a tartan blanket with a proud smile on his lips and Crowley groaned. “No, no, no. Please no. I’ve brought a perfectly normal one. I’m not sitting on a tartan blanket in front of people.” 

“Whatever you say, my dear, whatever you say,” the blonde sighed with fondness in his voice and walked past Crowley with the blanket in his hand. 

They went to the park and Adam sprinted out as soon as the two men settled down at their spot of choice. Neither of them tried to stop Adam, mostly because there’s nothing wrong for a child to want to have fun and that they are more than happy to have some time to themselves. 

“Anthony, I’ve noticed that you’re growing out your hair.” Aziraphale breathed out. Smooth and gentle as the breeze around them.

“mmmm…,” Crowley made some noise from his throat before stringing his response together. “You don’t like it?” 

“I’ll get used to it,” Aziraphale’s chest tightened at the underlying nerves in Crowley’s questions. “It’s reminding me of the past is all.” 

He wanted to comfort him. “Do you remember me braiding your hair?”

“It’s not something you can forget. It’s horrible,” Crowley retorted in a playful tone. 

“Right. Would you let me do that again someday?” He wriggled his finger at Crowley to make his point. “I just need to get back into practice.”

“I’ll consider it if you can do it this well,” Crowley tilted his head to reveal the delicate pieces of work under the surface of his hair. A tight braid started from behind his ear and extended into his thick hair. Aziraphale’s gaze followed the swirling pattern and got lost in the soft locks, which somehow looked more ginger under the sunlight. 

He collected himself and diverted the subject. There’s not much he can do at the moment anyway. 

Several hours later, by the time Aziraphale had his fill of nibbles and Crowley had his fill of watching Aziraphale eat, Adam was knackered. So, they started their trip back to Aziraphale’s place. When they reached the door, Adam jumped and yelped.

“Aziraphale! I forgot to lock your snake’s glass door!” 

“Oh, he’ll be fine. He’s a wily old serpent by now, wouldn’t cause too much trouble,” Aziraphale said in his happy tone. He was too relaxed and content from the picnic to fuss. 

“But, I also left Warlock’s door open…” 

“’s not good. What did I say about your cat, Adam!” Crowley growled. “You are coming back to my place and sleep on the couch…”

As the door opened, everything was miraculously calm and tidy. The three humans searched around only to see a pile of black shining scales and Warlock’s glowing golden eyes peering out from the centre. 


	5. Adam is the New Cupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam decided to push the lover boys along?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really should've planned this all out and stick with that, but anyways, first time for everything.
> 
> So, guys, stay safe and have fun :)

“Crowley, why are you here this early? You’re practically living here now.” Adam muttered when he walked out from his room to get some breakfast before going to school.

Throughout the past few months, Adam had settled down nicely with Crowley and Aziraphale. Luke didn’t put up much fight when it came to Adam’s custody. And it all worked out for the better.

Crowley arrived every morning to bring Adam to school and, in the afternoon, dropped him back to Aziraphale’s place or took him to the plant shop and Aziraphale would come to visit and they’d all go out for dinner. Life was happy and peaceful. But, sometimes, Crowley would wonder, if there’d be more.

He hasn’t found an appropriate timing to bring up the subject. Aziraphale might be too deep into a book with a serene smile on his face, or the sunlight’s might be shining on his white-blonde hair and creating an illusion of a halo which sucked out all the air from Crowley’s lung. He didn’t want to break this. So he told himself that it was enough. This should be enough.

“Adam, would you mind helping me set up a nice dinner for Anthony?” Aziraphale asked after staring at the same page for the past fifteen minutes.

“Yep, you’re gonna take him out?” Adam said in a way too casual voice as he looked up from Crawley. The black snake was sprawled out across the boy’s lap and its tail laying lazily next to Warlock. Adam’s pale skin was glowing amidst all the dark colour.

“Or do you want to do some romantic candlelight dinner here?”

Aziraphale choked on the air. “Adam, you really shouldn’t be this invested in… um… in whatever this is.” _Where did the kid get all these ideas anyways_ , _Jesus_.

“Exactly my thought. You two should do better. Stop pining and get on with in!”

“Adam! There really is no need for this kind of language!” Aziraphale blushed vigorously and cleared his throat. “Ahem…I’ll figure something out.”

“Sure, just let me know what you need me to do,” Adam remarked and turned his attention back to the comic in his hand and the pair of relaxed creatures in his lap. His passion for comic books had led to a growing collection in Aziraphale’s personal reading room. The two grownups didn’t mind doting on him and buy him some when they went shopping. Adam certainly didn’t mind either. He was more than happy to have more stories to enjoy and he was honoured to be the excuse for the two abnormally reserved grownups to spend time together.

He’d seen Crowley’s loneliness throughout the years. His solitude among plants. And his sad eyes when he looked through the letters Aziraphale wrote to him in the young days. He didn’t really understand when he first saw his cool looking uncle all tearful and vulnerable many years ago. But as he grew up and spent time between them, he kind of understood.

The care and love they had for each other were precious. It’s frustrating to watch as well. He watched how Crowley fussed with his clothing and the wrapping of the delicacies he bought for Aziraphale before they entered the door. And he also saw how Aziraphale stressed over learning new recipes because he saw Crowley picking at his plate.

It is ridiculous. But cute. Almost like old fashioned courting. And they seemed to be happy, so he’s going to stand it, for a while at least.

“Crowley, you’d need to bring a nice shirt and a pair of fancier trousers with you today. And prepare a bouquet or a box of fancy chocolate or something.” Adam abruptly spurted out when Crowley dropped him off at school one day.

“What? Why?”

“You can thank me later.”

Then Crowley began his day of endless fussing. He went through his wardrobe to decide on the perfect shirt for the occasion, which he had no clue of.

“Too dark… Too bright… Too slutty…” He went through them twice and decided on a simple black shirt with a subtle satin shine. Then he started going through his ties. Then his choice of jacket. Then the phone rang.

“Anthony!” He heard his friend breathed out his name as the phone was picked up.

“Hello, Zira. Something wrong.”

“Well, no. Nothing’s wrong. I was wondering if you are free this evening?”

“Yeah, need me to keep an eye on Adam? The kid is weird these days. I think he spent too much time with the pets.”

“Oh, is he? Anyways, no. If you’re free, I’d like to ask you to go on a date with me. Ritz. I got us a table.” His sounded slightly tighter than usually. Crowley could almost see fingers wringing in front of the waistcoat-covered belly. Everything clicked together suddenly.

“Ah… So this is what it’s all about.” Adam’s words suddenly make sense. But then his mind caught on something Aziraphale said. _DATE?!_ “Hgkk…Date?”

“Did I say that? Oh, my dear, it doesn’t have to be. If you feel uncomfortable with the idea, it can be just a casual dinner. We don’t even have to go somewhere posh. Actually, if you prefer it, we can just bring takeout from some local deli, or we can just skip dinner.” He rambled on. Which wouldn’t have happened at all if Crowley’s vocal cord was at all competent.

“No, no, no, no way you are taking that back,” Crowley yelped. “Pick me up at 6.”

“Why am I the one to pick you up, Crowley. You’re the one with a car.”

Crowley could hear the pout in his voice and he couldn’t have that. “Fine, I’ll pick you up at 6. Need to make some arrangement. Adam’s not staying at home alone. It’ll be a nightmare.”

“My dear, you don’t have to worry about that, I prepared a nice little dinner for Adam to heat up when in the evening as compensation for leaving him at home alone. And he promised me to go to bed at the normal hour.”

“Yeah, you don’t need to compensate him for that. He’ll be living his dream.”

And, indeed, was Adam living his dream that evening. He had crazy fun with the video games. He turned the volume to the maximum and shouted at the screen however he liked. He brought both Crawley and Warlock out to the living room with him for dinner (Yes, he didn’t have to eat in the dining room.)

He also didn’t use the dining room for another reason. He had, with Aziraphale’s permission, laid out rose petals and fragrant candles. (Unlit, without a doubt. Crowley would go mad if he knew Adam does anything with open fire, and Crowley going mad wouldn’t be a romantic ending of their date night) He also snuck into Azirphale’s bedroom and laid some extra petals on his bedsheets.

It’s been a long time when he was this wild at home for a while. He totally has forgotten how tiring it is. Before the two adults return, he was soundly asleep on the couch. He would be very mad at himself if he knew Crowley and Aziraphale were tangled when they fumbled in the front door.

“Hmpf…Zira, Adam might be there…” Crowley pulled away from kissing when he was Aziraphale was moving his body to open the door to his apartment.

“It’s alright. He promised me… hmmm…” The blonde leaned up to steal another kiss. “He’s in bed already now. Come.” He pulled the lanky redhead into the room and pushed him up against the door. Right when he’s delving into the lean neck with open mouth kisses, he felt Crowley’s palms against his chest.

“Zira, wait.” He cocked his head towards the living room. “What did I say about trusting everything Adam said?”

They stood more up straight for a brief second then burst out into laughter when they realised that Adam was too tired to notice whatever was happening around him. Crowley walked towards the boy to pick him up and Aziraphale gathered his snake in his arm. Warlock snapped awake and followed his young master into their room.

“Dearest, meet me in my room after you tucked our little Cupid in?”

Crowley gave a non-committal noise as he walked away.

Crowley knocked on the door of Aziraphale’s study and frowned in confusion when he no one answered. “Zira?”

“Anthony? Why are you there?” Aziraphale answered from behind.

“You said…” Crowley began to explain and realised. “Oh…did you mean bedroom?”

“Yes, do you not want to?” Aziraphale did not wait for an answer as he pulled the speechless man along with him and chuckled when he heard the gasp when Crowley saw the crimson decorations on the bedding.

“What the fuck, Zira!” He blushed almost as red as the petals Adam arranged in front of them.

“Adam might have foreseen that we’d need it.

“Adam was in on this? How?” If it was possible, Crowley blushed harder.

“Hmm… It worked out well, if you must know. He told me you’re rather reserved and old school when it comes to this.” He smiled and looked at the burning face. “According to Adam, whom you seemed to be quite close to and shared information about me with, I should court you like, in his words, ‘old fashion lover boys’?”

He held the angular chin and nuzzled it as he finished the sentence. Crowley couldn’t actually follow the whole situation after that. He let his love for Aziraphale took over and it’s everything both of them ever wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for this story. Learned quite a lot about the importance of planning stories out before writing them. Thanks for everyone on this journey. I'll still be working on following through all the post this month, but this is the end of this idea.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and advice are the most welcomed. And feel free to come hang out on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/verywrongeverything)!


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